Help [Not] Wanted

In what sounds like a really bad PR move, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Circuit City wants to rehire some of the workers it fired for being too expensive.

According to the Bulldog Reporter's version of the story, Circuit City laid off 3,400 workers earlier this year and replaced them with people willing to work for less money. Nothing wrong with their work, you understand - Circuit City made a point of saying so - they were just too expensive. Just a basic business decision. Too bad. Bye.

Now, Circuit City has discovered it needs some of those workers after all, and it has sent them letters inviting them to re-apply for new jobs with the company.

Circuit City, of course, has a perfect right to seek cheaper labor. If it chooses to give experienced workers the back of its corporate hand, that's fine. But they then expect those workers to come back?

If I were one of the workers involved, I'd tell Circuit City exactly where they could put their job offer to the best advantage. Sideways.

As I say, the company has the right to behave that way. However, as a customer, I have the right to show them exactly the same amount of loyalty and respect they show their workers. Best Buy, here I come.